Wildland Fire

Wildland Fire Suppression

Wildland fire is one of the most dynamic and dangerous threats facing our community. El Dorado Fire Rescue maintains trained and equipped wildland firefighters capable of initial attack, extended attack, and mutual-aid deployments to protect homes, natural resources, and lives in the wildland-urban interface (WUI).

What We Do

Wildland fire operations differ significantly from structural firefighting. Our wildland crews respond to:

• Initial attack on vegetation fires before they can grow and spread
• Structure protection in the wildland-urban interface
• Fireline construction using hand tools and power saws
• Backfire and burnout operations under direction of qualified personnel
• Aerial resource coordination (tankers, helicopters)
• Mutual-aid deployments to state and federal incidents
• Post-fire mop-up, patrol, and holding operations

Wildland Fire Certifications & Training

Wildland fire certifications are issued through the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) and are recognized across all federal, state, and cooperating agencies. Positions are documented in the Incident Qualification and Certification System (IQCS).

Firefighter Type 2 (FFT2)

The entry-level wildland firefighting position. FFT2 personnel work under direct supervision on a hand crew or engine crew. Prerequisites include completion of the S-130 (Firefighting Training), S-190 (Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior), and the Work Capacity Test (Pack Test) at the Arduous level. This is the starting point for all wildland certifications.

Firefighter Type 1 (FFT1)

Experienced wildland firefighters who can work with minimal supervision. Additional training includes L-180 (Human Factors on the Fireline) and documented fire experience. FFT1s can also serve as crew boss trainees and are eligible for specialized assignments.

Engine Boss (ENGB) / Single Resource Boss

Supervisory positions responsible for managing a single engine or hand crew resource. Requires FFT1 certification, supervisory experience, and completion of S-230/231 (Crew Boss). Engine bosses are critical for WUI structure protection assignments.

S-212: Wildfire Power Saw Operations

Certification for chain saw use in wildland fire operations. Required for any personnel operating a saw on a fireline. Covers safety, maintenance, felling techniques, and limbing in fire conditions.

S-290: Intermediate Fire Behavior

Covers fuel models, topography, fire weather, and spotting potential. Required for supervisory positions and anyone expected to make tactical decisions based on fire behavior predictions.

Fire Weather and Red Flag Awareness

All wildland personnel receive training in reading spot weather forecasts, identifying Red Flag conditions, and understanding fire weather watches and warnings. This situational awareness is fundamental to firefighter safety.

Ten Standard Firefighting Orders & 18 Watch-Out Situations

The Ten Standard Firefighting Orders and the 18 Watch-Out Situations are the foundational safety doctrine of wildland fire. Every firefighter memorizes and applies these principles at every incident. Combined with LCES (Lookouts, Communications, Escape Routes, Safety Zones), they form the core of risk management on the fireline.

ICS 100 / 200 — Incident Command System

All wildland personnel complete ICS 100 and 200 to operate effectively within the National Incident Management System (NIMS). Extended attack and large fire assignments require ICS 300 and 400 for supervisory positions.

Safety and the Wildland-Urban Interface

Our area's location in the wildland-urban interface means that structural and wildland fire threats often converge. El Dorado Fire Rescue trains and equips personnel for both environments, with particular emphasis on the transition zones where the greatest risk to life and property exists during fire events.

Join the Wildland Fire Team

Wildland firefighting offers a unique opportunity to protect natural and developed landscapes during some of the most demanding conditions in emergency services. The work is physically demanding, technically challenging, and deeply rewarding. Learn more about volunteering with El Dorado Fire Rescue.